About Us

Opportunities Knocking™ is a structured professional networking and educational environment furthering career enhancement, job change, and general networking. Monthly two hour meetings take place at centrally located hotel meeting rooms.

The typical program starts with a guest speaker whose message is valuable to the audience: Healthcare after a layoff, networking techniques, 401K, HR's perspective, and optimizing cash flow to persevere are just a few of the potential topics. There is always a question and answer period after the presentation to make sure that you have a firm grasp of the concepts. The goal for this phase of the program is for attendees to learn new information that will help them in their search for an enhanced career, teach them new ways to identify and solidify new business relationships, or just show how to make life just a little bit better.

Following the presentation, there's a mixer break including hosted refreshments. Attendees network on an informal basis and get ready for the heart of the meeting: Spin-Net™ structured networking. Facilitators roam the room during the break to help new attendees get to know the group, and assist in the forging of new professional relationships.

The Spin-Net™ structured networking segment of the meeting is effective, challenging, and fun. The goal is to:

• Enhance your professional network
• Develop an "elevator speech" that will stop a potential employer, peer, or potential business partner in their tracks and make them take notice
• Instill the confidence necessary to speak to a hiring manager or to a new client.

The session starts when attendees take a seat at any of the roundtables set for 8. One of the table partners volunteers to be timekeeper. Each table partner gives his or her table partners an "elevator speech" lasting up to 30 seconds which is the best professional answer to the "What do you do?" question. Table partners take a few short notes (constructive criticism) on each of the presenters' speeches (Opportunities Knocking blank forms and pencils are provided), and those notes are given to each presenting table partner after the entire table has given a speech. Notes can be anonymous or signed. The remaining time at the table is spent in discussion of the speeches, collecting business cards or contact information, and general networking. Facilitators move from table-to-table making suggestions, answering questions, and keeping the flow going. After 15 minutes, a buzzer sounds and everybody moves to a new table with as many new table partners as possible. Imagine meeting tables and tables of new people with potential opportunities for you every month!

After the Spin-Net™ sessions have completed, the meeting room is typically available for 2 hours of networking and conversation.

Opportunities Knocking™ is your community. We are interested in getting your input on topics for presentation at the meeting. Tell us how we can make the meetings more valuable for you.

Biography

Lonnie Adelman is a 30 year veteran of the High Tech, Consumer Products, and Biotechnology Industries. He has been affiliated with companies ranging from start-up to Fortune 100 in capacities as a founder/CEO, manager, consultant and individual contributor. An entrepreneur with over 17 years of upper management experience, Mr. Adelman has earned a reputation for engaging the human element. He has served in a player-coach capacity many times throughout his career, primarily utilizing his ability to build out cross-functional teams and then working alongside them to achieve challenging goals. With a combination of strong passion and a vision for success, he always seeks to share his experience, solicit input from the team, jointly create a plan, and then coach to win.

Along the way, Mr. Adelman has personally experienced the rigors of the job search process, both while gainfully employed, and after experiencing a lay-off. He has learned how to quickly and successfully transition to fresh and satisfying new jobs through the repositioning of his experience to fit the changing new economic reality. Over the years, he has shared his expertise and experience as a hiring manager, interview coach, career advisor, and networker with friends and former colleagues. By offering his insider's perspective for navigating a successful career transition plan, Mr. Adelman has improved both their quality of life and their financial well-being.

Now Lonnie has decided to "give back" to the community at large by sharing his experience and know-how in a big way by founding Opportunities Knocking™ in order to facilitate this singular goal. He looks forward to utilizing his unique outlook to help attendees and private clients realize 100% of their career potential.

Mr. Adelman received a Bachelors of Science in Engineering from Cal State Northridge, and subsequently attended business courses at UCSD and The George Washington University School of Business. He has also attended seminars in career transition, development, and coaching taught by noted leaders in the field of career transition and leadership consulting. He is an alumnus of Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH) and a Toastmaster CTM. A native Californian, he currently resides with his wife Susan in Suburban San Diego.